Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Australia & New Zealand Banking
Group Ltd., the country’s most Asia focused lender, hired former
Lloyds Banking Group Plc executive Andrew Geczy to head its
international and institutional banking arm.

Geczy, 50, will start on Sept. 16 and will be based in
Melbourne, ANZ said in a statement today. The appointment is
subject to regulatory approval, it said.

He will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Michael
Smith, who aims to boost profit from outside Australia and New
Zealand to as much as 30 percent of the bank’s total by 2017
from 21 percent last year. Geczy replaces Alex Thursby, who left
in April to head National Bank of Abu Dhabi.

“Andrew provides a significant addition to ANZ’s
management bench strength,” Smith said in today’s statement.
“He is an experienced global banker with a track record in
leading international growth businesses including Asia.”

Prior to joining ANZ, Geczy headed Lloyds’s wholesale and
banking markets unit, according to the statement.